Audio

911 call reveals more about father's stabbing death

Corey Roberts is led into court Friday for his first appearance on a charge of first-degree murder. Roberts, 20, is accused of stabbing his father to death Thursday inside the family's home on Nighthawk Drive in Wilmington.

Published: Friday, May 3, 2013 at 11:43 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, May 3, 2013 at 4:01 p.m.

The sister of a Wilmington man charged in the killing of his father was on the phone with dispatchers when the stabbing occurred Thursday.

The 911 call released Friday reveals the teen called 911 to ask for an ambulance for her brother.

“I have a suicidal teenager at 503 Nighthawk Drive. I need an ambulance immediately,” the girl said calmly. “He is trying to stab himself.”

Ninety seconds later she screams.

“I think he stabbed my dad!”

Corey Eugene Roberts, 20, is charged in the stabbing death of his father, Christopher Eugene Roberts, 52.

Wilmington Police Department Lt. Tom Witkowski said the father and son argued in the backyard of the family’s Nighthawk Drive home before the 6:45 p.m. stabbing.

“Basically they had a disagreement, the son was irate about something, which we’re really not terribly clear on, there was a disagreement, (the) father was trying to calm him down,” Witkowski said.

In the 911 recording, before the girl screams about the stabbing, Corey Roberts can be heard cursing in the background.

In another development, Warren Lee, director of the New Hanover County Emergency Management, said Friday that the 911 dispatcher who handled the call may face disciplinary action for how she spoke to the caller. That action could involve a written warning or even termination depending on the employee’s disciplinary history.

In a recorded copy of the exchange, the dispatcher sounds curt, repeatedly talking over the caller, who is obviously unsettled and upset.

“Ma’am, calm down for me. You’re not helping anybody by being out of control,” the dispatcher said at one point.

Lee declined to name the dispatcher until she returned to work Monday and he had an opportunity to discuss the issue with her and her supervisor.

“Any time an employee on my end raises their voice, it’s not appropriate,” Lee said, adding that “there were certainly opportunities where we could have done a better job with the way we spoke to the individual on the call.”

After the stabbing, Christopher Roberts was taken from the scene with a deep wound to his back from a large kitchen knife, Witkowski said. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.

The younger Roberts, a 2010 graduate and former varsity football player at Hoggard High, was arrested by police in the front yard. According to North Carolina State University’s online campus directory, he transferred to the Raleigh college from an unknown school and was majoring in engineering.

The elder Roberts was a retired Coast Guardsman and sold insurance for Aflac. He was active in Wilmington Toastmasters and recently represented the Wilmington club at a regional competition, said Eric Brandt, Area 93 governor for North Carolina District 37 Toastmasters.

“He was probably the quintessential family guy. His speeches were almost always involving family,” Brandt said.

On Tuesday, Corey accompanied his father to a 7 a.m. Toastmasters breakfast where Chris was taking part in a speech competition, Brandt said.

“He’d come to watch his dad compete. It just doesn’t make sense,” Brandt said. “Chris’ was the face you would see if you looked up family man in the dictionary. Of all of the people, it appeared that family was the most important thing to him.”

In addition to Toastmasters, Chris Roberts was a member of the newly formed WatchDOGS, or Dads of Great Students, a program in which fathers and father figures volunteer at their children’s schools. Wilmington’s chapter of the national program began last fall at the urging of New Hanover County District Attorney Ben David and county Commissioner Jonathan Barfield.

Corey Roberts appeared in court Friday morning where he was appointed a death-penalty certified public defender. He is being held without bond on a charge of first-degree murder.

<p>The sister of a Wilmington man charged in the killing of his father was on the phone with dispatchers when the stabbing occurred Thursday. </p><p>The 911 call released Friday reveals the teen called 911 to ask for an ambulance for her brother. </p><p>“I have a suicidal teenager at 503 Nighthawk Drive. I need an ambulance immediately,” the girl said calmly. “He is trying to stab himself.”</p><p>Ninety seconds later she screams. </p><p>“I think he stabbed my dad!”</p><p>Corey Eugene Roberts, 20, is charged in the stabbing death of his father, Christopher Eugene Roberts, 52.</p><p>Wilmington Police Department Lt. Tom Witkowski said the father and son argued in the backyard of the family's Nighthawk Drive home before the 6:45 p.m. stabbing. </p><p>“Basically they had a disagreement, the son was irate about something, which we're really not terribly clear on, there was a disagreement, (the) father was trying to calm him down,” Witkowski said.</p><p>In the 911 recording, before the girl screams about the stabbing, Corey Roberts can be heard cursing in the background.</p><p>In another development, Warren Lee, director of the New Hanover County Emergency Management, said Friday that the 911 dispatcher who handled the call may face disciplinary action for how she spoke to the caller. That action could involve a written warning or even termination depending on the employee's disciplinary history. </p><p>In a recorded copy of the exchange, the dispatcher sounds curt, repeatedly talking over the caller, who is obviously unsettled and upset. </p><p>“Ma'am, calm down for me. You're not helping anybody by being out of control,” the dispatcher said at one point. </p><p>Lee declined to name the dispatcher until she returned to work Monday and he had an opportunity to discuss the issue with her and her supervisor.</p><p>“Any time an employee on my end raises their voice, it's not appropriate,” Lee said, adding that “there were certainly opportunities where we could have done a better job with the way we spoke to the individual on the call.” </p><p>After the stabbing, Christopher Roberts was taken from the scene with a deep wound to his back from a large kitchen knife, Witkowski said. He was pronounced dead at the hospital. </p><p>The younger Roberts, a 2010 graduate and former varsity football player at Hoggard High, was arrested by police in the front yard. According to North Carolina State University's online campus directory, he transferred to the Raleigh college from an unknown school and was majoring in engineering. </p><p>The elder Roberts was a retired Coast Guardsman and sold insurance for Aflac. He was active in Wilmington Toastmasters and recently represented the Wilmington club at a regional competition, said Eric Brandt, Area 93 governor for North Carolina District 37 Toastmasters.</p><p>“He was probably the quintessential family guy. His speeches were almost always involving family,” Brandt said. </p><p>On Tuesday, Corey accompanied his father to a 7 a.m. Toastmasters breakfast where Chris was taking part in a speech competition, Brandt said. </p><p>“He'd come to watch his dad compete. It just doesn't make sense,” Brandt said. “Chris' was the face you would see if you looked up family man in the dictionary. Of all of the people, it appeared that family was the most important thing to him.”</p><p>In addition to Toastmasters, Chris Roberts was a member of the newly formed WatchDOGS, or Dads of Great Students, a program in which fathers and father figures volunteer at their children's schools. Wilmington's chapter of the national program began last fall at the urging of New Hanover County District Attorney <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/topic80"><b>Ben David</b></a> and county Commissioner Jonathan Barfield. </p><p>Corey Roberts appeared in court Friday morning where he was appointed a death-penalty certified public defender. He is being held without bond on a charge of first-degree murder. </p><p><i></p><p>Staff Writer <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/topic9904"><b>Brian Freskos</b></a> contributed to this report.</i> </p><p>F.T. Norton: 343-2070</p><p>On <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/news41"><b>Twitter</b></a>: @FTNorton</p>